What we know about plane crash

vesnaUSA News

Sixty-seven individuals are presumed to have lost their lives following a mid-air collision between a passenger aircraft and a military helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday evening.

The cause of the incident remains unclear. Flight-tracking information indicates that the helicopter may have been operating above the authorized altitude shortly before the crash. An investigation is ongoing to ascertain the factors that led to this tragic event.

Authorities have successfully retrieved the flight data recorders from the American Airlines aircraft and are continuing their search for bodies in the frigid waters of the Potomac River, where the plane descended.

What transpired?

The aircraft involved was a Bombardier CRJ700, which had originated from Wichita, Kansas, and was designated as American Airlines flight 5342.

The military helicopter was a Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk, which had departed from Fort Belvoir in Virginia and was part of B Company, 12th Aviation Battalion.

According to an analysis by CBS News, the helicopter appeared to be flying above the allowed altitude. Air traffic control recordings released online indicated that a controller attempted to alert the helicopter about the proximity of the American Airlines flight just seconds before the collision.

The helicopter pilot seemed to acknowledge awareness of the aircraft, but shortly thereafter, the two vehicles collided. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy expressed his belief that the helicopter was indeed aware of the nearby plane.

During a briefing on Thursday, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth noted that the helicopter was engaged in an annual proficiency flight, conducting a night evaluation, and that the crew was equipped with night-vision goggles.

The collision occurred around 21:00 local time (02:00 GMT) as the plane was nearing Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

An eyewitness, Ari Schulman, recounted to NBC Washington that the plane’s approach appeared normal until he observed it sharply bank to the right, producing “streams of sparks” beneath the aircraft, which he described as looking “very, very wrong.”

Another eyewitness, Jimmy Mazeo, recalled witnessing the event.